As ‘NBA 2K27’ Cover Stars, Victor Wembanyama and Caitlin Clark Join Long List of Basketball Greats

The newest NBA 2K athletes have been revealed.

Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and WNBA wunderkind Caitlin Clark will grace the covers of the NBA 2K27 standard and deluxe editions, the organization announced Wednesday morning. Former Bulls star Derrick Rose will be featured on the game’s ultra edition. All three will launch Sept. 4, 2026.

“When you’re truly obsessed with basketball, the game doesn’t stop when you leave the arena,” Wembanyama, fresh off a breakout season with San Antonio, said in a statement. “NBA 2K is the court that never locks up, it’s always open whether you’re in Paris or San Antonio. It’s how you study the game, sharpen your IQ, and live basketball 24/7. To be the face of a game that fuels that hunger for hoops and whose covers immortalize the all-time greats, that’s a dream come true for me.”

“Being on the cover of NBA 2K27 is special because this game reaches fans all over the world,” added Clark, who recently posted the best all-around single-game performance in WNBA history. “To be the first WNBA player on her own global cover means women’s basketball gets to show up on that stage too, and I am proud to be part of that.”

“It’s crazy looking back at being on the NBA 2K13 cover to now having my own edition for NBA 2K27,” mused Rose, whose jersey the Bulls retired in January of this year. “During my journey there have been coaches who believed in me, teammates who made me better, and fans who showed up louder than I ever expected. So, this is a chance to inspire young athletes to stay obsessed with the game. To show them that when you put in the countless hours of hard work, it rewards you.”

With their appointments, Wembanyama and Clark now join a long list of legendary NBA and WNBA players to earn a spot on the front cover of the popular video game. Below, we’ll take a look at every key art star since the first edition in 1999, with a particular emphasis on the standard/WNBA U.S. editions.

Full List of NBA 2K Cover Athletes Over the Years

Edition	Athlete(s)
NBA 2K	Allen Iverson
NBA 2K1	Allen Iverson
NBA 2K2	Allen Iverson
NBA 2K3	Allen Iverson
NBA 2K4	Allen Iverson
NBA 2K5	Ben Wallace
NBA 2K6	Shaquille O’Neal
NBA 2K7	Shaquille O’Neal
NBA 2K8	Chris Paul
NBA 2K9	Kevin Garnett
NBA 2K10	Kobe Bryant
NBA 2K11	Michael Jordan
NBA 2K12	Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird
NBA 2K13	Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin
NBA 2K14	LeBron James
NBA 2K15	Kevin Durant
NBA 2K16	Stephen Curry, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Michael Jordan (special edition)
NBA 2K17	Paul George, Kobe Bryant (legend edition), Danilo Gallinari (Italy), Pau Gasol (Spain)
NBA 2K18	Kyrie Irving, Shaquille O’Neal (special editions), DeMar DeRozan (Canada), Kevin Durant (Nike Connect special edition)
NBA 2K19	Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James (20th anniversary), Ben Simmons (Australia/New Zealand)
NBA 2K20	Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade (legend edition)
NBA 2K21	Damian Lillard, Zion Williamson (next-gen consoles), Kobe Bryant (Mamba Forever edition)
NBA 2K22	Luka Dončić, Candace Parker (WNBA 25th anniversary edition), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Dirk Nowitzki/Kevin Durant (NBA 75th anniversary edition)
NBA 2K23	Devin Booker, Michael Jordan (championship edition), Sue Bird/Diana Taurasi (WNBA cover), J. Cole (dreamer edition)
NBA 2K24	Kobe Bryant, Sabrina Ionescu (WNBA cover)
NBA 2K25	Jayson Tatum, A’ja Wilson, Vince Carter (Hall of Fame edition)
NBA 2K26	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Angel Reese (WNBA edition), Carmelo Anthony (superstar edition)
NBA 2K27	Victor Wembanyama, Caitlin Clark (deluxe edition), Derrick Rose (ultra edition)